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The Centre for Inter Faith Dialogue

The Centre for Inter Faith Dialogue is run by the Stockholm Diocese of the Church of Sweden in association with the Church’s national structures. Its main purpose is to promote understanding, collaboration and good relations between people of different faiths.

Why Inter Faith Dialogue?

It is becoming clear that religion is a significant driving force in today’s world , in the life of the individual as well as in society as a whole.
Religion can play a beneficial role, but can also be used for detrimental purposes. In the religiously plural society which is the Sweden of today, knowledge, understanding and collaboration are essential in order to enable people of different faiths to co-exist well.
As a religious community the Church of Sweden has an important mission to gain and convey knowledge about other religious traditions, and about how we as Christians can understand them, and cultivate meaningful interaction across religious boundaries. In this context our own theological reflection upon experiences of interfaith dialogue is of great importance.

What is Inter Faith Dialogue?

Inter Faith dialogue consists of meetings between people, meetings where we share what is important in our lives, openly and with growing trust in each other. Inter faith dialogue is not debate, where one attempts to convince an opponent. It is not negotiation, where one strives for the lowest common denominator. In this dialogue we meet as believers to learn about, and from, each other.

What does Centre for Inter Faith Dialogue do?

The Centre provides:
• Courses and seminars for different interested groups
• Field trips
• Consulting and guidance
• Network for collaboration and mutual reflection
• Library

The Team

Rev. Dr. Helene Egnell was ordained for Stockholm Diocese in 1988, and has worked as a parish minister for many years. She earned her PhD from Uppsala University in 2006 with the dissertation Other Voices: A Study of Christian Feminist Approaches to Religious Plurality East and West.